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Philippines: Bringing the health response into focus

December 2013

WHO/F. Guerrero

When Typhoon Haiyan tore through the central islands of the Philippines five weeks ago, killing over 6000 people, injuring some 26 000 and leaving 4 million others homeless, it also ravaged medical facilities across the region. In the weeks that followed, tireless Philippine health workers, buoyed by medical teams from around the country and the world, came to the aid of tens of thousands of survivors in a health response coordinated by the Philippine Department of Health and WHO.

Through these images, WHO brings the emergency health response into focus and looks at the immense challenges ahead to sustain and expand critical health services and prevent disease, as the country’s battered health system is restored.